1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a content-data processing apparatus and a content-data processing method which in which content data, such as music and/or video data, obtained by downloading or the like from a content providing server through a network is managed and processed in accordance with a use condition description specifying use conditions, such as the playback time-limit of the content data. The present invention further relates to a content-data management system and a content-data management method in which content data is transmitted to the content-data processing apparatus through the network and is received by the content-data processing apparatus, and the content data is managed and played back in accordance with the use condition information.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, online distribution of music and/or video content using networks, such as the Internet and cable television networks, has been put to practical use. In such a content distribution system, in order to distribute the content over the network(s), a content provider provides the content on the web. Users of the music distribution system use their own personal computers to access, for example, the web provided by the content distributor to download desired content.
The content distributor needs to manage the copyright of the content. The content distributor, therefore, identifies the users using, for example, their respective IDs (identifiers) and passwords and distributes encrypted content to only authenticated users. In addition, to limit the number of uses, a period in which playback is allowed, and so on and to protect copyrights, the content provider attaches use condition information to music content and distributes the content to the users.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-359616, assigned to the present assignee, discloses an information processing apparatus that allows the users to decrypt content data based on the use condition information.
However, in such a use condition for the encrypted content, for example, only one description regarding an article, such as a playback period, is provided for one piece of content in one file. That is, with respect to the same music content in one file, use conditions are not available that provide different playback periods for a broadcast-type music distribution service, in which music data is distributed to clients, and for a media-bind-type service, in which music data read from CDs (compact discs) or the like is stored on the internal or external HDDs of the clients so that the content is played back from the HDDs. That is, the same music content in one file cannot be used in different services.
When a use condition is described in separate files in different formats for respective services, the same music content can be played back. This content encryption scheme, however, is determined by only the file format.